He shrugs. "Yeah, it was, but it didn't matter."

"It matters to me. I don't want to change you, Jase. I only want everything that is good and wonderful in this world for you. Can't you understand that? You've never asked me to change-not even the way I dress-so why would I ask the man I fell in love with when I was fourteen to stop being him?"

"I fucking love the way you dress. I love you."

"Then let me love you as you are." I kiss his cheek. "Let me love you, Jase."

He pulls me down into bed again, flipping me on my back. "How about you let me love you? I think I was a bit selfish last night, but I'd been dreaming about those heels."

With a smile, I wrap my legs around his waist. "Last night was amazing. It was what we both needed, but I can't stay in bed with you today."

"The hell you can't," he protests as I quickly unwrap my legs and bolt out of bed. "Where are you going?"

I start to answer him but get caught up in ogling the man lying in bed: the centerpiece-or rather centerfold-in a mound of white sheets and blankets. His hard body with its tattoos is a feast for the eyes. I swear he could be his own man candy page on Pinterest. Women wouldn't have to search for any other image but his. But they can't, because he's mine, and that body is mine. That lickable, hot, sexy body- "Piper," he says, and I snap out of my lust-induced trance.

"I have a meeting." Smiling brightly, I hurry to the closet and pull out a silvery-green sheath dress that matches perfectly with my eyes. Mother had actually complimented me once while I wore it, so I think it's exactly what I need to wear today.

"With who?"

I glance over my shoulder at Jase. "My mother."

- Every Thursday morning, Mother has a breakfast meeting with the Ladies of The Oaks charity organization. Actually, she runs the meetings.

In any case, this is the only way I know to catch her before our three-day time limit is up.

As soon as I walk into the private dining room, my mother's eyebrows go up. Several of the ladies see me and smile, but their smiles aren't friendly. They're calculating how long they have to wait before they can share the news of me crashing their get-together.

"Piper, darling. I'm so thrilled you could make it." Mother is ever the cat who can land gracefully on her feet in all situations. "Ladies, Piper has been working with Ginger Davidson-Prattley at the Charlotte Women's Shelter."

"This is rather unexpected, Whitley. You don't have Piper down for today's schedule."

My mother's ice-green gaze bounces from me to the woman who dares to question her. "Piper's schedule is so full that I wasn't sure if Ginger could spare her." A blinding smile covers Mother's face. "But here she is."

Like a dutiful daughter, I take that as my cue to move closer and give my mother a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for having me, but before we get started, may I have a moment of your time?" I look around the table. "I'm in desperate need of motherly advice. I'm sure y'all understand."

A woman wearing Lilly Pulitzer covers her heart with one hand. Her eyes are kind. "That's so sweet. I hope my little Bentley-she's only three right now-will do that when she's older. You are so lucky, Whitley."

"Indeed I am." Her cold gaze flicks to me. "We'll be back momentarily. Y'all discuss next week's luncheon."

I follow Mother to another room. She carefully shuts the door and then whirls around, her icy gaze now blazing. "What kind of stunt was that?"

My tongue grows thick and my throat starts to feel tight. "Th-that wasn't a st-stunt."

"Th-then w-what was it?" she mocks, and I feel like a little girl again. No, not a girl, but that overweight, shy teenager with a stutter and a yearning for a mother to love and accept her.

"I want you to tell Daddy to leave Jase and me alone."

Her perfect face flushes. "You want me to dictate to your father?"

"He listens to you."

She laughs bitterly. "All this for a fling, sugar? He must be good in bed."

I don't answer her. How can I?

"Actually, I do know how good Jase Simmons is," she begins, and I feel sick. Wait. Jase would have told me if he had ever been with her. He would have. I refuse to believe otherwise. I'll have faith in him, even if I have to confront his past. "That sweet-as-pie Beverly, whose daughter is Bentley, used to say he was an animal in the sack. Some even wonder if he's the poor child's father."

"Hard to father a child from prison," I point out.

"My, my, Piper Ross. Aren't you full of yourself today." Mother arches a brow, then opens her purse. She pulls out a lighter and a cigarette, giving me a look before lighting it. "You might want to stand over there in case your condition can't take a little smoke."

"Don't you care about me at all?" I ask, taking a step back.

"I care about you getting this boy out of your system and doing the right thing," she says. "This little act of rebellion has to stop."

I cross my arms. "I'm not giving Jase up."

She laughs. "Who said you have to?"

"My dad, for one."

"He's so old-fashioned when it comes to you," she says. "Honey, just marry the right man and you can still have fun with the wrong one."

"I should get married so I can cheat on my husband with Jase?"

"It's The Oaks way." She winks, then sobers. "Well, not for everyone, of course, but darling, girls from The Oaks don't marry boys like Jase Simmons. He's good for sex but not much else."

I can't even defend Jase to her. Mostly, because I know it won't make a difference. Her mind is set.

"I can't believe he's the reason you moved out. You could have come to me, Piper. I would have understood. I had my own Jase Simmons when I was younger. Hell, he could be your daddy for all I know."

My mouth drops open in shock.

"I'm only teasing. Your daddy is your daddy. He made sure of that," she says cryptically. Opening a nearby window, she stubs out her cigarette and waves the smoke out before spritzing perfume on and eating a mint. "I'll have a talk with him, sugar, make him understand what's going on. But I'm going to need some assurance from you."

"Assurance?" I have no idea what she could mean by this and I'm not sure if I want to know.

She walks to me and touches my cheek. Involuntarily, I lean into her touch. I've always wanted affection from her. "Marry the right man, Piper. Promise me that, and I'll make sure your daddy leaves Jase alone."

Marry the right man? The only man for me is Jase, not some preppy asshole who-"You have my promise. I will marry the right man."

"Thank you. I knew I could count on you."

I watch as she hurries back to her meeting, not bothering to invite me to go with her. Fine with me. I have other things to do.

Like convincing the right man to marry me.

- "How did it go?" Jase asks as soon as I walk through the door of Tattoo Shop, but before I can answer, he gives me a hot kiss that sends my brain whirling for a moment.

When he finally stops, I have to gather my thoughts once more. "My mother says I should enjoy my fling with you. That she'll intervene on my behalf with my dad."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"No, for once I believe her."

He slices his hand through the air. "Not that she'll intervene, but that she thinks we're having a fling."

"My mother assumes that's what we are doing, and I allowed her to think as much."

He blinks at me for a moment. Then a grin curves the corners of his mouth. "Piper Ross, you lied to your mother?"

I squirm a little. "Not really. I let her assume whatever she wanted."

"Shit, baby. I'm impressed, but how long do you think it will take before she realizes that we're more than a fling?"

"She said I should marry the right man while continuing my affair with you." I don't bother mentioning Beverly. Besides, my mother isn't known for always telling the truth.

"What the fuck is wrong with that woman?"

"It's...what she's accustomed to, but I don't want that. I don't want her life."

"What do you want?" For the first time in my life, I see Jase as a man with vulnerabilities and it breaks my heart.

"I want..." My heart speeds up and I let my words trail away.

"It's okay, kitten. Just tell me," he says encouragingly.

"I want to marry the right man, which means that I..." I begin again. I can do this. I can tell him what I want and what I think will keep us safe. "Marry me, Jase."

Chapter 20.

Piper

He stares at me, his sexy blue eyes wide. "What?"

"Marry me. We can go to South Carolina instead of applying for a marriage license here. You're allowed to travel there, right?"

He nods. "Yeah."

"We'll go there, marry, and come back as Mr. and Mrs. Simmons. My parents won't expect this response from us. They expect us to roll over." I give him an encouraging smile. "If you marry me, they won't touch you-their reputation won't be able to take the hit in their eyes."

"What about Rowan?" he asks, running a hand over his face. I can see that it's shaking, but I can also see that he's considering my words.

"Seth can protect her. Plus, Rowan's business has the support of so many people now, especially on the state and federal level with her Jailbird to Jobs program. My father might think he's powerful, but he's not."

"Are you sure, kitten?" he asks. "I don't want to get married and then you regret it."

I grab his hand as the consequences of our potential marriage hit me. "I won't regret marrying the love of my life."

"I don't have a ring for you."

"I don't care."

"But is it enough for you?"

What he's really asking is if he's enough. "You are more than enough for me. Marrying you is something that I never expected, not in my wildest fantasies." Tears fall on my cheeks. "You're so worried that one day I'll wake up and wonder why I made the mistake of falling for you, but when you and I...when we fall in love, it's not a mistake because neither of us gives our love to whoever happens to come along. For better or for worse, Jase Simmons, you have me for the rest of my life."

This time there is no hesitation at all when he says, "Let's go now. We'll take my Mustang."

"I'll call Ginger to let her know I won't be in tomorrow."

"Shit. Your job. I know Emmett can hold down things for me, but your career is important."

"Jase, when are you going to get it through your head that you are more important to me?" I lace my fingers with his. "Besides, it's not as if I'm asking off to play hooky. I'm getting married. We're getting married."

"We're getting a honeymoon?"

I giggle and blush a little. "Yes."

A slow, sexy smile covers his face. "Then you'd better tell your boss you need the entire week off."

Jase

I'd like to say that I remember every detail of our ceremony, but I'd be lying. What I do remember? The sweetness of her face, the way the wind blew her hair around, and the sound of the waves as they lapped at the shore. How her eyes sparkled as brightly as the diamonds in her ears. How she said her vows in a strong, clear voice. How I couldn't stop shaking. How good it felt when the preacher pronounced us husband and wife.

We got married at a seaside chapel near Charleston. Piper assures me that everything was perfect, even for a hasty marriage.

I know it was perfect for me, and since I trust her to tell me the truth, I know it was perfect for her as well. But now...we're in a small cottage near that seaside chapel and we've eaten dinner, taken showers, and changed. It's our first night together as husband and wife.